Air pump with air flow control

ABSTRACT

An air pump includes a housing, a motor, an impeller and an air flow controller. The housing confines a receiving space, and has a first end portion formed with a first port unit, an opposite second end portion formed with a second port unit, and an intermediate portion between the first and second end portions and formed with a third port unit. The motor is mounted in the receiving space. The impeller is coupled to and driven rotatably by the motor, and includes a base plate and first and second blade sets provided respectively on opposite sides of the base plate. The first and second blade sets face toward the first and second port units, respectively. The air flow controller is mounted on the second end portion of the housing, and is operable so as to block selectively fluid communication between the second port unit and the receiving space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Chinese Application No.200520039912.6, filed on Mar. 2, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an air pump, more particularly to an air pumpsuitable for inflating and deflating articles and provided with an airflow controller to promote efficiency when deflating an article.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional air pump 1 for inflating anddeflating articles is shown to include a housing 11, a motor 12 mountedin the housing 12, an impeller 13 that is coupled to and drivenrotatably by the motor 12 and that includes first and second blade sets131, 132, and a housing cap 14 for covering an open end of the housing11. The housing 11 has an end wall formed with a plurality of first ventholes 111, and a surrounding wall mounted with a switch 112 forcontrolling motor operation. After assembly, the housing 11 and thehousing cap 14 cooperate to define an air duct 15. Moreover, the housingcap 14 is formed with a plurality of second vent holes 141. To pump airinto an article (not shown), the air duct 15 is connected to thearticle, and the motor 12 is operated to drive rotation of the impeller13 such that ambient air is drawn into the housing 11 through the firstand second vent holes 111, 141, and such that the air is subsequentlysupplied into the article through the air duct 15. On the other hand, topump air out of the article, the housing 11 is connected to the articlesuch that air flows out of the article and into the housing 11 via thefirst vent holes 111 for subsequent venting through the air duct 15 whenthe impeller 13 is driven by the motor 12 to rotate.

However, since the conventional air pump 1 has both the first and secondvent holes 111, 141, when pumping air out of the article, ambient air isalso drawn into the housing 11 via the second vent holes 141 uponrotation of the impeller 13. This results in air turbulence in thehousing 11, which has an adverse affect on the air pumping efficiencyduring an article deflating operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an air pumpwith an air flow controller so as to overcome the aforesaid drawback ofthe prior art.

Accordingly, the air pump of this invention comprises a housing, amotor, an impeller, and an air flow controller. The housing confines areceiving space, and has a first end portion formed with a first portunit, a second end portion opposite to the first end portion and formedwith a second port unit, and an intermediate portion between the firstand second end portions and formed with a third port unit. Each of thefirst and third port units is in fluid communication with the receivingspace. The motor is mounted in the receiving space. The impeller iscoupled to and driven rotatably by the motor, and includes a base plateand first and second blade sets provided respectively on opposite sidesof the base plate. Each of the first and second blade sets faces towarda corresponding one of the first and second port units. The air flowcontroller is mounted movably on the second end portion of the housing,and is operable so as to block selectively fluid communication betweenthe second port unit and the receiving space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional air pump;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of anair pump according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional, schematic side view of the preferredembodiment for illustrating a first operating mode of the preferredembodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional, schematic side view of the preferredembodiment for illustrating a second operating mode of the preferredembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of an air pump 3 accordingto the present invention is shown to comprise a housing 31, a motor 32,an impeller 33, and an air flow controller 34.

The housing 31 confines a receiving space 310, and has a first endportion 311 formed with a first port end portion 311 and formed with asecond port unit 314, and an intermediate portion between the first andsecond end portions 311, 312 and formed with a third port unit 316. Inthis embodiment, the housing 31 includes a first housing part (31A) formounting the motor 32 therein and formed with the first port unit 313,and a second housing part (31B) for closing the first housing part (31A)and formed with the second port unit 314. The first port unit 313 isformed as an air duct that extends from the first end portion 311 of thehousing 31 and that is formed with a plurality of vent holes 3130. Thesecond end portion 312 of the housing 31 is formed with a plurality ofvent holes 3140 that serve as the second port unit 314. The third portunit 316 is formed as an air duct that extends from the intermediateportion of the housing 31. In particular, each of the first and secondhousing parts (31A, 31B) of the housing 31 has a surrounding wall (311A,311B) formed with a respective peripheral extension 3160. The peripheralextensions 3160 of the first and second housing parts (31A, 31B)cooperate to define the air duct that serves as the third port unit 316.Each of the first and third port units 313, 316 is in fluidcommunication with the receiving space 310. A control switch 315 ismounted on the first housing part (31A) for controlling motor operationin a conventional manner.

The motor 32 is mounted in the receiving spare 310, and has an outputshaft 321.

The impeller 33 is coupled to the output shaft 321 of the motor 32, andis driven rotatably by the motor 32. The impeller 33 includes a baseplate 331 and first and second blade sets 332, 333 provided respectivelyon opposite sides of the base plate 331. Each of the first and secondblade sets 332, 333 faces toward a corresponding one of the first andsecond port units 313, 314. The impeller 33 is further formed with acoupling tube 334 for coupling with the output shaft 321 of the motor32. As best shown in FIG. 3, the impeller 33 is disposed proximate tothe third port unit 316 in the receiving space 310.

The air flow controller 34 is mounted movably on the second end portion312 of the housing 31, and is operable so as to block selectively fluidcommunication between the second port unit 314 and the receiving space310. In this embodiment, the air flow controller 34 includes a rotarydisc 341 disposed in the receiving space 310, formed with a plurality ofopenings 345, retained rotatably at and disposed to abut against thesecond end portion 312 of the housing 31 (see FIG. 3), and operable soas to rotate in the receiving space 310 between a first position, wherethe openings 345 in the rotary disc 341 are registered with the ventholes 3140 in the second end portion 312 of the housing 31 to permitfluid communication between the second port unit 314 and the receivingspace 310 (see FIG. 3), and a second position, where the openings 345 inthe rotary disc 341 are offset from the vent holes 3140 in the secondend portion 312 of the housing 31 to block fluid communication betweenthe second port unit 314 and the receiving space 310 (see FIG. 4). Theair flow controller 34 further includes a rotary knob 343 disposedoutwardly of the receiving space 310, and first and second engagingmembers 342, 344 that are provided respectively on the rotary disc 341and the rotary knob 343 and that are interconnected to retain rotatablythe rotary disc 341 and the rotary knob 343 at the second end portion312 of the housing 31, thus permitting rotation control of the rotarydisc 341 through the rotary knob 343. In this embodiment, the firstengaging member 342 is a post that extends from the rotary disc 341 andthrough the second end portion 312 of the housing 31, and the secondengaging member 344 is a socket that is formed in the rotary knob 343and that engages the post. In practice, it possible to switch thepositions of the post and the socket on the rotary disc 341 and therotary knob 343. The rotary disc 341 is further formed with apositioning stud 346 that is extendable removably into one of the ventholes 3140 in the second end portion 312 of the housing 31 to positionreleasably the rotary disc 341 at one of the first and second positions,as In use, the air pump 3 is operable in one of first and second modesto inflate or deflate an article, such as an inflatable bed, aninflatable toy, etc. As shown in FIG. 3, to inflate an article 4, theair pump 3 is operated in the first mode. In the first mode, the thirdport unit 316 is connected to the article 4, and the rotary knob 343 ofthe air flow controller 34 is operated to rotate the rotary disc 31 tothe first position, thereby permitting fluid communication between thesecond port unit 314 and the receiving space 310 through the openings345 in the rotary disc 31. The control switch 315 (see FIG. 2) is thenoperated to turn on the motor 32 for driving rotation of the impeller 33such that ambient air is drawn into the receiving space 310 through thefirst and second port units 313, 314, and such that air exits thereceiving space 310 and is supplied to the article 4 through the thirdport unit 316. At the end of the article inflating operation, thecontrol switch 315 is operated to turn off the motor 32.

As shown in FIG. 4, to deflate the article 4, the air pump 3 is operatedin the second mode. In the second mode, the first port unit 313 isconnected to the article 4, and the rotary knob 343 of the air flowcontroller 34 is operated to rotate the rotary disc 31 to the secondposition, thereby blocking fluid communication between the second portunit 314 and the receiving space 310. The control switch 315 (see FIG.2) is then operated to turn on the motor 32 for driving rotation of theimpeller 33 such that air in the article 4 is drawn into the receivingspace 310 through the first port unit 313, and such that air exits thereceiving space 310 through the third port unit 316. At the end of thearticle deflating operation, the control switch 315 is operated to turnoff the motor 32.

It has thus been shown that the air pump 3 of this invention is suitablefor inflating and deflating articles without the need to reassemblecomponents thereof. Moreover, when the air pump 3 is used to deflate anarticle, the air flow controller 34 can be operated to block air flowthrough the second port unit 314. As a result, air turbulence in thereceiving space 310 during an article deflating operation can beminimized to promote the air pumping efficiency.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. An air pump comprising: a housing confining a receiving space, andhaving a first end portion formed with a first port unit, a second endportion opposite to said first end portion and formed with a second portunit, and an intermediate portion between said first and second endportions and formed with a third port unit, each of said first and thirdport units being in fluid communication with said receiving space; amotor mounted in said receiving space; an impeller coupled to and drivenrotatably by said motor, said impeller including a base plate and firstand second blade sets provided respectively on opposite sides of saidbase plate, each of said first and second blade sets facing toward acorresponding one of said first and second port units; and an air flowcontroller mounted movably on said second end portion of said housingand operable so as to block selectively fluid communication between saidsecond port unit and said receiving space.
 2. The air pump as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said air pump is operable in one of first and secondmodes, when said air pump is operated in the first mode, said air flowcontroller is operated to permit fluid communication between said secondport unit and said receiving space, and said motor is operated to driverotation of said impeller such that air is drawn into said receivingspace through said first and second port units and such that air exitssaid receiving space through said third port unit, and when said airpump is operated in the second mode, said air flow controller isoperated to block fluid communication between said second port unit andsaid receiving space, and said motor is operated to drive rotation ofsaid impeller such that air is drawn into said receiving space throughsaid first port unit and such that air exits said receiving spacethrough said third port unit.
 3. The air pump as claimed in claim 1,wherein said second end portion of said housing is formed with aplurality of vent holes that serve as said second port unit, said airflow controller including a rotary disc disposed in said receivingspace, formed with a plurality of openings, retained rotatably at anddisposed to abut against said second end portion of said housing, andoperable so as to rotate in said receiving space between a firstposition, where said openings in said rotary disc are registered withsaid vent holes in said second end portion of said housing to permitfluid communication between said second port unit and said receivingspace, and a second position, where said openings in said rotary discare offset from said vent holes in said second end portion of saidhousing to block fluid communication between said second port unit andsaid receiving space.
 4. The air pump as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid air flow controller further includes: a rotary knob disposedoutwardly of said receiving space; and first and second engaging membersprovided respectively on said rotary disc and said rotary knob, saidfirst and second engaging members being interconnected to retainrotatably said rotary disc and said rotary knob at said second endportion of said housing.
 5. The air pump as claimed in claim 4, whereinsaid first engaging member is a post that extends from the respectiveone of said rotary disc and said rotary knob and through said second endportion of said housing, and said second engaging member is a socketthat is formed in the respective one of said rotary disc and said rotaryknob and that engages said post.
 6. The air pump as claimed in claim 3,wherein said rotary disc is formed with a positioning stud that isextendable removably into one of said vent holes in said second endportion of said housing to position releasably said rotary disc is atone of the first and second positions.
 7. The air pump as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said first port unit is formed as an air duct thatextends from said first end portion of said housing and that is formedwith a plurality of vent holes.
 8. The air pump as claimed in claim 1,wherein said third port unit is formed as an air duct that extends fromsaid intermediate portion of said housing at a location proximate tosaid impeller.
 9. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidimpeller is disposed proximate to said third port unit in said receivingspace.
 10. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housingincludes a first housing part for mounting said motor therein and formedwith said first port unit, and a second housing part for closing saidfirst housing part and formed with said second port unit
 11. The airpump as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said first and secondhousing parts has a surrounding wall formed with a respective peripheralextension, said peripheral extensions of said first and second housingparts cooperating to define an air duct that serves as said third portunit.